Jekyll and Hyde

My local am-dram group are performing this in April so I thought I'd do a quick blog on the show, and mention a few of my fav songs! First performed on Broadway in 1997, Jekyll and Hyde tells the well known story of Henry Jekyll, a doctor who is intrinsically a good person. After carrying out some home made experiments on himself, an alter-ego, Edward Hyde is formed, who roams the Victorian streets in search of blood. The show originally ran on Broadway for 4 years, but was never able to become commercially successful, as it still ended up losing money. It never opened on the West End in London, although there have been a couple of touring versions. I went to watch the most recent touring version of Jekyll and Hyde a few years ago in the Liverpool Empire, which starred Marti Pellow, of "Wet Wet Wet" fame.. In my review I said that I wasn't really a fan of the show - there are far too many songs which don't drive the story forward in the way they're suposed to. I also said that the chorus numbers were excellent, so it's nice to go and revisit that now with my am-dram group and be able to sing some of these songs, and try and do them justice. Such as the one below, which is my favorite chorus number... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twRIdbAZlw0 My absolute favorite song of the show is a duet between the two female leads, Lucy and Emma. I could seriously listen to "In his eyes" all day long, and have linked the song below for you to listen to! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK4WsjmrJZU Our version of the show should be ok - I haven't heard the leads sing it yet, and having not watched any of The Bromley Players other shows before, I can't comment on the quality, but I can say that the sound of the chorus in the few rehearsals we've had so far is fantastic, and I can't wait to perform again!! So until next time.. Adios, David x

Victor/Victoria @ southwark playhouse

So I've been living in London now for quite a while, and with the exception of one or two shows at the fantastic soho theatre, i have mainly stuck to the commercial theatre that is londons west end! And although some shows are out of this world, and do attract some big names with even bigger voices, my wallet at the end of each month looks empty. So when I saw an advert that the southwark playhouse were putting on a musical that I knew nothing about for a tender, I thought why not! If it's bad then ive not lost much, and if it's good then I've found a cool new venue, a new musical and helped out the fringe, as well as it being cheap! As it turned out, it was so good I went back again a few weeks later (and even paid more because it was no longer in previews during my return visit). It was a real find! This musical opened on broadway in the 1990s with Julie Andrews playing an English singer in Paris looking for a job when she comes across toddy, a man who has the brilliant idea of dragging her up as Victor, a Polish count, and putting her in cabaret acts across the city with a lot of success! Firstly though, it was based on a film of the same name, also starring Andrews, for which she was given an Oscar nomination. Now, I had read about this a few years ago on Wikipedia when I was looking up Julie Andrews after watching Mary Poppins, but it didn't cross my mind until after I'd watched the show in southwark. This was I believe the first professional show of victor/Victoria in London, which is hard to believe after seeing the high quality of it! The story is good, the music is exquisite - and feels very authentic of 1930's Paris, which is when the musical is set. Le jazz hot is the big standout number, and whilst the lead didn't blow me away like andrews did in the YouTube clip I've watched hundreds of times since, she was perfectly adequate! The dancing and the choreography were what made the show such a highlight, and it really made the intimate setting of the railway arches of London bridge come alive as a smoky Parisian jazz club! I came out of the theatre both times wishing I could go back! It's just a real shame that the southwark playhouse has to relocate due to building works at London bridge. The venue was as much a part of the show as the music and the lighting and the costumes, and I really do believe that it wouldn't have seemed half as good if it was put in any other theatre in London. It was an absolute stomper of a show, and I'm so glad I got to see it. I'm going to leave you all with a clip of the immortal Julie Andrews singing le jazz hot from the film version. I urge you to watch her in all other fabulousness! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qsHVLaNsCSg David

Daytime tv is crap!

Now that Christmas is officially over, it seems that the broadcasting companies have gone back to putting their usual drivel back on the tv, so spare a thought for those os us who are subject to watching it! I've never been a fan of loose women or Jeremy Kyle, so knew today wouldn't be the greatest tv day, especially after being spoilt over the last few weeks, but I thought I'd have a nice lazy day seeing as its not very often I spend a day doing nothing. Now I wish I had done something! It is absolutely appalling! There is currently a program on called dinner date, which is like blind date with food! Which sounds like it could be fun, but it's not! On the plus side, it's brought me back to blogger! So hello! I think that now I've got an iPad I should use it properly, and so may use it it to blog! Good idea?! So tv is now off! Let me know what you want me to blog about! Tweet me or let me know in the comments section below. I will also be putting up some quick reviews of the shows Ive been to see in the last few months!

We Will Rock You @ The Liverpool Empire Theatre

With a book by Ben Elton, and songs written and originally performed by Queen, the We Will Rock You musical has appeared across the UK for nearly ten years.

Set a few hundred years into the future where musical instruments have been outlawed, WWRY tells the tale of young dreamer Galileo, who seeks to find a way of bringing music back to life. Along with Scaramouche, he is able to break free from the clutches of the Killer Queen, and start his journey into musical heaven.

Noel Sullivan as Galileo is perfectly cast. He has an excellent stage presence and is extremely charismatic. Amanda Coutts as Scaramouche is also a delight to watch, and has an extraordinary voice. Slightly miscast is Ashley Russell. Whilst her acting is very good, her voice isn’t suited to some of the songs she sings – her higher register is slightly screechy.

A major problem was with the sound. At times, the acoustics are too loud and so the singers are constantly battling with the band, giving an unbalanced sound and affecting the quality of the music. However, it is nice to see a live band playing all of the hits, which include "Don't stop me now!", "Killer Queen", "We are the Champions", and a very heartfelt version of "Only the good die young", which paid tribute to those stars who were lost before their time, including a recently deceased Amy Winehouse.

Another problem is the story, which is not as good as the songs which are being sung. It feels as if it was put together in a rush and without much thought, and at times is overlong. Some characters are undeveloped and aren’t utilised as well as they could be.

The set design is simple, yet effective. It relies heavily on video projections which add to the futuristic vibe.

A musical with Queen's back catalogue is always going to generate some interest, but the poor quality of the book does let the show down slightly. Despite this, everyone in the audience seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Down Our Street @ Liverpool Unity Theatre

FOLLOWING three sell-out runs in Wirral, and a series of rave reviews, musical play Down Our Street finally arrived at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre over the weekend.

Directed by Brian McCann and starring local legend Mickey Finn, Down Our Street charts the history of the Cammell Laird shipbuilding company based in Birkenhead, from the very beginning in the 1800’s to the present day.

Told through the eyes of the local people, the production follows the highs and lows of the company which is still going strong to this day.

The Active Drama production starts with a speech from founder William Laird about how Birkenhead will change for the better with the setting up of his company.

The town, he claims, will become a utopia with green parks and plenty of jobs for everyone.

What follows is anything but, with redundancies, immigration and privatisation all having an effect on the fortunes of the company and the locals.

What is particularly appealing about this production is that much of what happens is still happening today.

The locals of the late 1880’s muttering that the “foreigners are coming over here and stealing our jobs” is still a phrase heard across the region today.

There are some genuinely touching moments, as well as a lot of humour, with cameo appearances from historical figures including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Margaret Thatcher and even John Lennon.

A major problem with this production is that due to the time frame which is covered, there isn’t enough time to develop any of the characters. As a result, many are nothing more than over-the-top stereotypes, which makes it difficult to connect emotionally.

The musical numbers are undoubtedly the highlight of this production. Some of them, including the title number, are outstanding, and wouldn’t be out of place in a bigger production.

The singing is good, with only the occasional note going astray.

The choreography could be improved, as at times the placing of the characters in some of the numbers appears odd.

The 11-strong cast deals adequately with the material provided, and all play a number of different roles.

The younger members at times appear wooden and a lack of experience comes through, and even some of the more experienced members of the company seem to forget some of the lines to the musical numbers.

Standout performances come from Louise Thomas, whose Birkenhead housewife is something to behold, and Charlie Griffiths (who also produces the show). Mickey Finn is also pleasing to watch and plays a very convincing drunk who has lost everything.

A nice touch is that one of William Laird’s descendants is in the production. Ruth Laird, who is the co-founder’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter, gives a moving speech about her family’s pride in the legacy which has been created.

With a few re-writes, particularly in regard to the dialogue to include more character development, this could be an outstanding production.

5/10

Singin' in the Rain!

It's been a while since I updated the blog - apologies for that - I've been very busy looking for jobs and then I went travelling around Europe for around five weeks in total, and went to a wedding! But between all of that, I managed to jump on a train down to Chichester to see their reimagining of the film classic "Singin' in the Rain". It is well documented that the transition of this piece from screen to stage hasn't ran smoothly. There are a few versions which have been mounted both this side of the Atlantic and on the Great White Way, all without much commercial or critical success - would the Chichester production continue this run or raise the bar?!

I've been going to Chichester to see their big summer musical for around five years now, and while I always enjoy their big American musicals which they put on, it always seems like something is missing. 42nd street from 2010 was the best of the bunch leading up to this trip, but that has most definately changed now!

Singin' in the Rain, I can say with much joy, is one of the best musicals, nay.. best shows I have ever seen on the stage! The music was incredible, the dancing sublime, but it was the leading members of the cast that were the highlight - Scarlett Strallan, a performer I have seen only once before in Mary Poppins, was outstanding. Her voice was angelic, her dance moves fiesty. But it was the facial expressions and the acting that set her apart from many leading ladies I've seen - it was like going back into that era! The other leads were also very competent! The direction was excellent - a welcome return to the Festival Theatres Artistic Director - Jonathan Church.

The story to the show is simple - Hollywoods leading silent film stars have to make the transition to "talkie" movies, only the leading lady sounds like a strangled cat - a queue for Scarlett Strallens character to begin to dub for the Hollywood star, and also to fall in love with the leading man!

The costumes, the ensemble, the laugh out loud humour all added to make this a wonderful production, but the best part was during the iconic number (in the film Gene Kelly is tap dancing through the streets). In this production the stage becomes flooded from sprinklers above the stage and during the tap number, the first few rows (and where I was sitting) got soaked! It was extremely memorable and such a pleasant suprise as I was expecting much of the same from the previous musicals at Chichester!

Definately 9/10

Jekyll and Hyde at The Liverpool Empire

It has been two years since Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow last visited Liverpool in The Witches of Eastwick, and now he returns in another musical, Jekyll and Hyde.

Originally based on the books by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll and Hyde tells the story of Henry Jekyll, a Harley street doctor who wishes to rid the human race of carrying out evil deeds. After carrying out experiments on himself, Edward Hyde is born from the inside of Jekyll’s mind, leading to a carnage of murder through the streets of London.

As both Jekyll and Hyde, Pellow seems slow in connecting to the material. His spoken voice, particularly in the first act is very breathy, making it hard to decipher the dialogue. The ex-pop star improves greatly in the second half when Jekyll’s alter-ego is causing havoc in the city.

Sabrina Carter and ex-Wicked understudy Sarah Earnshaw, both excel vocally as the duo's love interests, but there are far too many power ballads in this show for them.

The chorus numbers are the best, though, with an 18-strong cast harmonising with ease which improves the general lacklustre score.

Ultimately this show is laden with too many numbers - many of which don't seem to move the plot forward. It also takes a long time to build any momentum - it is over an hour into the show before Hyde even makes an appearance.

That is not to say that this show is without its merits. A scene where Jekyll confronts Hyde, with the use of a video projection really gets across the argument that is going on within Jekyll and Hyde's head. The big number from this show - This is the Moment - also doesn't disappoint, with Pellow delivering a powerful vocal.

Despite some stand out moments, including the chorus numbers and a duet between the two leading ladies, you can't help feel slightly disappointed in the show as you leave the theatre - even if you are a fan of Marti Pellow.